One Time Stray Cat Is Now Wealthiest In The World

Most of us are filling out our insurance about now getting ready for the new year and new changes. So lets say you have no spouse, no children and no other living relatives; who do you leave your estate too when you pass? If you are a 94 year old Italian woman with only a cat you leave everything to the CAT. So what exactly does a cat do with an estate fortune?

Tommaso is a 4 year old cat that was living on the street when an old lady took him in, now he is the richest cat in the world according to International Business Times. Tommaso inherited an estate worth $13 million dollars when his owner Maria Assunta passed away. Maria's husband was a real estate mogul who had amassed a fortune and when she passed away she had no one else to leave her estate to but Tommaso the Cat.

Here's the twist though. Italian law does not permit animals to inherit property therefore Tommaso didn't actually receive his due. So then who does the wealth and Tommaso, for that fact, go to? It seems that Ms. Assunta had a long time nurse who cared for her until the end, so she was given custody of Tommaso and the fortune in which he was left.

The nurse was a little surprised to hear that her employer had all this money and real estate, which included property in Rome, Milan and Calabria, not to mention the cash. So now Stephania and Tommaso live in an undisclosed location and will never have to worry about a thing in the world again.

Leaving your wealth to pets here in the states is becoming more normal than quirky these days. In fact most states have laws that protect such wishes. A list of those states and their laws can be found at ASPCA website. The State of Texas is included in these states carrying pet trust laws.

The law in Texas states:

Texas
Tex. Prop. Code § 112.037
Date of Enactment: 2005Summary of law: A trust may be created for the care of an animal or animals alive during the settlor’s lifetime. The trust terminates upon the death of the animal, or upon the death of the last surviving animal covered by the trust.

So remember when you are adding your beneficiaries to your life insurance and creating your estate plans don't leave out the animals in your life that love you unconditionally!! Love Them As They Love You!